Glass Slipper
by Sinnclaire
Summary: He really was the only one she would run away with. And he may not have known, but she hoped he'd take her away that day- like a prince minus the white horse. She was his princess. Too bad, though, because he was the dragon in this fairy tale.


**TITLE:** Glass Slipper

**PAIRING:** Natsu x Lucy, OC x Lucy

**SUMMARY:** He really was the only one she would run away with. And he may not have known, but she hoped he'd take her away that day- like a prince minus the white horse. She was his princess. Too bad, though, because he was the dragon in this fairy tale.

* * *

"You're not going, ash brain?"

Gray Fullbuster, the raven-haired rival/best friend of a certain fire mage's stood in front of the Sola tree in Magnolia's South park. He had a serious look on his face, both his hands hidden in the side pockets of his new black pants. The pink-haired boy known as Natsu Dragneel sat on the soft green grass, his back leaning on the giant tree that's been there for God knows how long. He had his left leg stretched out in front of him, his right leg propping his right arm up. His other arm lay unmoved on the ground, fists shaking at his side as he looked up to face the ice mage.

Today, Gray donned a new pair of black dress pants fastened by a belt with a silver buckle. It came with a matching black coat that was buttoned over a white polo shirt. Black socks, black leather shoes, and a bow tie completed the look. The ice mage had to take his cross necklace off for the day, but the metal bracelet he usually wore could be seen around his right wrist covered by layers of sleeves. And Natsu had to admit, his rival looked somewhat decent- his way of saying "great" at the moment- in his current attire. The pink-haired man wore something similar, though. There were little, but significant differences with how the two of them wore the outfit. Natsu's white polo was left untucked and slightly unbuttoned, revealing part of his chest and abdomen. He was clenching his bow tie was in his hand- either the garter was constricting him or he was too depressed to even pull it over his neck. The sleeves of his coat were rolled up. He was looking up at Gray, but most of his face was shielded by his bangs. Anyone could tell that his expression was dark.

They were supposedly going to a wedding, but Natsu looked like he was on his way to someone's funeral.

It was Lucy's wedding, after all.

And _no_, he wasn't the groom.

"Oi, I asked you if-"

"No."

And the silence wrapping around the both of them tightens. The wind howled mercilessly, and the sounds of buzzing and endless chatter could be heard all around the fire dragon slayer and the ice creation magician. Dried leaves toasted by the summer sun were falling from the trees, onto the green grass and the dusty asphalt. The sounds of breaking twigs and crunching leaves filled the air. The sky was bright because of the ball of fire that continued to shine from the heavens. White puffs of cotton floated over the heads of the citizens of Magnolia, drifting slowly and freely in the baby blue sky. It was truly a beautiful sight- though the cheerful sky it was truly the opposite of what Natsu felt at the moment.

The sky was mocking him.

"Oi..." Gray's voice rang in his ears. Natsu had completely forgotten about his presence.

The fire dragon slayer looks away.

"I ain't going, didn't I tell you?" He managed to say as his onyx eyes travel to the tree branches above him, where the birds made their homes. Gray sighs.

"She'll want to see you..." He clears his throat. "You're her best friend aren't you?"

And Natsu stopped breathing for a second. His heart stopped beating for a moment as his mind tried to process the ice mage's words properly. Gray's message didn't seem to get through to him, though. He seemed to be taking it the wrong way. After all, he only heard two words.

_Best Friend._

That's all he ever was to her, wasn't he?

Maybe she didn't think they could be something more than that; that he was capable of taking it up a notch. Maybe he was just too damn slow that someone got to her first, or maybe she wasn't really hoping to spend the rest of her life with someone like _him_. Natsu Dragneel: violent, loud, messy, and has gay pink hair. Surely, she wouldn't want someone like that, right?

Half of his breaking heart hoped, though, that she was willing to overlook all of these shortcomings and fill them all for him.

She was _more_ than enough compensation.

And half of his heart knew that she probably didn't want to be more than friends; that she probably just didn't look at him that way.

After all, in fairy tales, it was the dragon that the prince would need to slay to rescue the princess.

And yes, this was a fairy tale.

Lucy was his princess.

Too bad, though, _because he was the dragon_.

"Natsu..." Gray trailed off, not moving even an inch from the place where he stood. His fists were clenched tightly in his pockets and he bit his lip. God, did he want to scream at the idiot right now. But he just couldn't bring himself to raise his voice at Natsu in his current state. His part-time-best friend was in so much pain already, and he never thought he'd actually see Natsu Dragneel like this. He knew how the fire-user felt, since he harbored feelings of admiration for Lucy himself at some point in time. But it wasn't anything big. It was probably just some crush, and it couldn't ever compare to what his pink-haired friend was feeling at the moment. Natsu _loved_ their blonde teammate. And Gray? He cared about Natsu, although they ended up beating each other up most of the time.

It hurt Gray to see Natsu like this.

"Just tell them I got sick and _died_ or something," Natsu tells him coldly, his head was hung low now.

"Don't even joke about dying, you fire bastard," was Gray's monotonous reply. He hears Natsu growl from where he stands.

"Fine," the dragon slayer counters. "Tell them I can't go because I don't fell like whoop-dee-doo-ing." Natsu sighs. He pitied himself. "Tell them I feel sick."

What he felt right now wasn't really different from that feeling anyway.

"You sure?" The ice-user frowns.

_It'd be better if I was away from there...Who knows what the hell I'd do..._ was what Natsu wanted to say, but couldn't bring himself to. He appreciated Gray's concern, which was weird since he'd usually want to kick his ass, but he needed to be left alone.

And when he doesn't give a definite answer, Gray turns around to walk away. "I'll tell `em you're dizzy or something..." He mutters under his breath as he slowly stalks away from the Sola tree. The excuse sounded pretty lame and unconvincing, but he was sure that all the other members of the guild knew the reason why he didn't want to go. Gray, along with everyone else, could tell he was trying to accept the fact that Lucy was getting married _to someone else_. Maybe he even considered going to the wedding, since he was wearing the coat and all. Happy wasn't with him too, maybe he was told to leave Natsu alone?

Gray gritted his teeth in frustration. Despite everything Natsu had done for him, there was very little he could do to pay him back.

And so he stops in his tracks to look back at the broken boy leaning on the tree.

_I know your brain is made out of charcoal, but **please** don't do anything stupid._

* * *

Lucy Heartfilia stood at the entrance to the closed wooden doors of Kardia Cathedral that day, that very same time. They would be opening any moment now, and she would walk down the aisle soon. Part of the red carpet that lead to the altar could already be seen creeping out from the inside of the church. She could hear voices-some she knew all her life and a few others she's never heard before.

The place was already filled up with people- relatives, friends and guildmates alike.

It was her wedding day.

She clutches the boquet of red roses tightly, a thin layer of sweat was already covering her palms. Lucy looked stunning in a strapless white dress with intricate patterns that was tight at the waist, giving emphasis on her petite figure and ample breasts. From there it fell in ruffles decorated with small white rhinestones scattered in random places. A white satin glove covered her left arm from her fingertips up to a few inches past her elbows. The right arm had the same cloth on, but the hand was left naked to reveal her pink fairy tail mark. She wore a pair of step-in stilletos made of glass, the heel of each shoe was made of genuine silver. Her usually straight, blonde hair- courtesy of Cancer- was in a formal updo, the bun decorated with pearls and beads of many kinds and two locks fell curled on both sides of her face. She wore a silver diadem adorned with diamonds and sapphire gems. The make up she had on was simple- baby blue eyeshadow, light pink lipstick and blush on. Her midnight blue eyeliner was applied with a light hand, but it was enough to make the color of her eyes more noticeable. Her porcelain skin glowed under the sunlight. Lucy's jewelry was nothing to laugh at either. The pearl earrings she wore belonged to her late mother, Layla. And around her neck was a silver necklace with her name in silver script as the pendant. It was her favourite piece of jewelry- and it could possibly the thing she held the dearest to her. That silver necklace was Natsu's gift to her on the year of her eighteenth birthday.

She treasured it more that the wedding ring about to be placed on her finger.

She will never forget everything he's done for him.

But really, it's not too late to turn back.

Lucy's mother always believed that she should follow her heart in whatever she did. She told her daughter to do what she felt was right, and not to regret anything she did because it was her choice. It was her life, after all. It was her happiness.

And yes, of course she was following her heart.

That's why she ran away from her father.

That's why she joined Fairy Tail.

That's why she has so many people looking out for her.

But right now her entire life was weighing on two possibilites.

One, her marriage to a person she barely knew and didn't even love, for the sake of her late father whom she loved. It shocked her when the rich heir of the infamous Lockhart came to her in the guild months ago, telling her that her father had already signed the contract. He didn't care if the Heartfilia Konzern was bought out- he might have truly loved her. And if she didn't agree to their terms, they would destroy her parents' graves- said the rich heir's father- and whatever or whoever was standing in the way of the marriage. Besides, they told her they could buy her father's riches back. Not that she cared about money, but why did she have to suffer the consequences of her father's foolish actions?

And she tried to love this rich heir the way he loved her.

But her heart belonged to somebody else.

And the second possibility?

To cease the ceremony and marry the person she truly loved. But of course it would damage the lives of other people. She didn't want that.

Either way, somebody would get hurt.

So who was it going to be? Her or the people she loved?

And so the church doors opened, and the organ started to play the wedding march- sounding much like the theme to the ending of a tragic movie. This was her cue. She bit her tongue and the corners of her lips turned up as she tried her best to put on a smile. She held the boquet of flowers close to her chest, and began to walk down the aisle, the scarlet carpet showing her the way to her destination.

Lucy could see the smiles of the people around her, and she could tell which ones were forced on like hers. The blonde caught sight of her guildmates scattered all around the place. It was pleasant, and at the same time bizarre to see them that quiet. People she's never seen until today were at present on the occassion as well. Then she caugh site of the master, and her teammates- Gray, Erza and Happy sitting at the front row. She tried her best to keep from crying or showing any negative emotion. So Natsu wasn't there.

She was hoping to see the face of her best friend one last time.

And for once, in this fairy tale, the princess was hoping the dragon would defeat the prince and bring her back to the tower.

She wouldn't mind being locked away forever with him.

* * *

Natsu sat at his same spot on the tree, a piece of black cloth was being set on fire in his hands. The remains of his bow tie fell to the ground, the pieces of burned cloth being carried by the wind that blew towards the east. His pink hair was as messy as the inside of his mind. Down his cheeks were marks of sadness, streaks of the tears that have already been cried out. The sun still shone as bright as ever, but in his world the winds raged and the rain fell. His onyx eyes, devoid of life, were downcast as he bit back a small whimper.

And the tears fell once again from his tired eyes.

She would never hold him the way she used to. He would never be able to sleep with his arms wrapped around her waist, in her bed. She would never have to scream at him for doing something stupid. And he would never ever need to apologize to her or have to make it up to her with a new book. He would never see her determination in battle, nor would he ever see her perseverance when she wrote her novels. It was the end of their story now, anyway- a tragic ending for him, befitting the dragon that kept the princess from finding love. He would never ever see her smile again, with him as the reason- never again.

And it saddened him.

It _killed_ him.

But was it really too late to turn back?

* * *

"...speak now, or forever hold your peace."

She looked to the wooden doors, hoping that a pink-haired boy with a fire in his hands-literally- would barge in and shoot flames at in her direction. She was hoping he would scream, "Stop!" And proclaim his undying love for her. And the princess would be taken back to the tower and locked away. She was hoping, wearing a fake smile- the masquerade she put on all the time that she became so good at. She looked at the rich Lockhart heir standing beside her. And then she met Gray's eyes with a look that questioned him, maybe their pink-haired teammate was planning something. He shook his head and turned away. Titania stood beside him, holding a blue kitten, who was crying for the sake of his dragon slayer friend. The scarlet-haired woman had tears in her eyes as well.

This was a funeral, not a wedding.

And a creaking sound was heard.

_BOOM._

The doors burst open, everybody's eyes snapped in the direction of the entrance and the wind blew on Lucy's locks, on her dress.

Natsu really was the only one crazy enough to crash his own best friend's wedding.

But he let her be, this time.

The wind blew hard, carrying nothing but withered flowers and dried leaves.

_No pink-haired dragon slayer._

_No fire._

_No nothing._

And the preacher spoke once again when no one decided to object.

That's when all her expectations were turned to dust.

But she didn't cry.

She couldn't.

* * *

The dragon still lay on the ground beneath the tree where he was defeated by the prince. They were at that very place he was lying on when Lucy told him she was getting married.

And at that time, he congratulated her.

After all, he had no right to question who she wanted to love.

So, the dragon spread his wings.

* * *

The stars shone brighter than usual that night, and the moon was like a pearl in the sky. It's light shone on the face of the boy sleeping underneath the Sola tree. He lay on the soft grass, blissfully dreaming and oblivious of all that was happening around him. His pink locks were in stuck up in different directions, and his weary eyes had dark rings around them. His clothes were in tatters, parts of them ripped apart and burned black. And his heart was breaking soundlessly into a million pieces, scattering like shards of glass on the earth where he lay. but his face was as peaceful and beautiful as ever.

A girl in a white dress was crouched down beside him, her tiara reflecting the moonlight back up to the sky. Her feet were bare, and the edges of her dress were covered in mud and soil. She lifted a hand and caressed the cheek of the boy, frowning as she felt them wet with tears. And she lay down beside him. He reacted immediately by pulling the barefoot princess closer to him, and he opened his eyes- his eyes that looked dead and lifeless were slowly regaining their former luster. His hands found the silver chain around her neck. A smile graced her features and she rested her head on the pink-haired boy's chest, her blonde hair swaying in the cold evening breeze.

Her tiara fell to the ground.

* * *

And he realized it was all a dream when a parade came by in the road by the Sola tree. Confetti was being thrown everywhere, and familiar "ice" fireworks exploded in the starry night sky. It wasn't complete with his real FIREworks, but everything was so beautiful that you'd think it the was the Fantasia during the Harvest Festival. But it wasn't. Instead, a newlywed Fairy Tail member stood tall beside her husband on a float in front of all the others. She was forcing a smile, but tears were threatening to fall from her barefoot blonde girl in the white dress from his dream. The woman waved her hand up in the air for all to see her new wedding ring, and a flash of pink caught Natsu's attention. It was her guild stamp.

It was all in his dream.

The moment her tiara fell from her head, he should've known that she was no longer his princess.

He stared after her retreating figure, his onyx eyes welling up with hot tears.

And he screamed as he let them fall.

_She threw away her glass slippers to run away with somebody else._

_And she won't be coming back._

* * *

**A/N: **Tada! It's finished for real. I'm not trolling with the long space. lol. Sorry if I misspelled Fairy TALE somewhere. I think I corrected all of those lol. I keep spelling it as fairy TAIL. Anyway, I was supposed to make the ending happy but I thought I'd try this one for a change. Haha. Hope you liked it~ ;D *wink wink* R&R. :)


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